Fourth-quarter surge helps Norwich win third straight game

NORWICH – Norwich’s offense began to click in the fourth quarter, and an 8-0 run in the middle of the last period allowed the Tornado to shake Chenango Forks, and win for the third straight time on Tuesday.

Chenango Forks’ Raychel Shannon put back her own miss cutting Norwich’s lead to 36-33. Bryn Loomis started Norwich’s spurt with a layup, Sophie Stewart converted two layups off Loomis passes, and Molly DeMellier hit a spot-up 19-footer from the right corner giving Norwich a 44-33 lead with about 2 1/2 minutes to play.

Later in the quarter, Tatyana Ithier banked in a three-pointer, and Loomis had a driving layup after a foul that she converted into a traditional three-point play. “We had a lot of trouble throughout the game turning the ball over,” said Norwich coach Josh Bennett. “We finally starting executing well (on offense) versus their zone.”

DeMellier led Norwich (6-4) with 14 points, Hannah Runyon scored 13, and Loomis had 10 in the victory. “I’m very proud of my kids for gutting it out and making plays when they needed to,” Bennett said.

SIDNEY – Greene gained a leg up in division play rallying from a double-digit deficit in the first half to beat the Warriors Tuesday night.

Sidney led 21-11 at one point in the first half, and took a 26-18 lead into halftime. “The defense in the second half was fantastic,” said Greene coach Dave Gorton. “The offense was much better in the second half, and that gave our defense a chance to set itself.”

Greene shot 8-for-39 from the field in the opening two quarters, but settled down in the third quarter. Anna Crumb’s drive-and-kickout pass to Erin Smith led to a buzzer-beating three-pointer that pushed Greene in front, 34-33, entering the fourth.

The Trojans extended their lead hitting 6-of-6 free throws in the last stanza. “Sidney was physical in the first half, and it took us time to respond,” Gorton said, “but we responded well.”